NIAKRONG (Krem)
25.307400,92.494700
Description
A more pinnacled than fluted pothole cave entrance, which is rectangular shaped in ground plan (about 3 by 5 m wide along an approximately north-south trending rift), is suspected to begin with what looks like a promising 30 m pitch. Krem Niakrong is also suspected to take a seasonal (monsoonal) stream during the rainy season. ETYMOLOGY: According to Kyrshan Dkhar (Tangnub village 1999.03.29 personal communication), this pothole cave entrance is locally known as »Krem Niakrong« but interpreting the possibly christianised cave name »Krem Niakrong« as a corrupted form of a pagan »Krem Kñiakrong« or »Krem Kñiakroh« would render this pothole into a sacrifice pit (note 1). SITUATION: The entrance lies in a gully about 300 m in a direct line approximately south-southwest (SSW) from the church (N25°18'37”: E092°29'43”) at the village of Lelad and just below the edge of the caprock (Oligocene Kopili Alternations) in the uppermost section of the Oligocene to Upper Eocene (Upper Sylhet stage) Kopili Limestone (Gebauer 1999.03.29). Mark W. Brown (2006.02.10 Mss: Niakrong Questionmark) placed the entrance to Krem Niakrong at an inexplicable location (note 2) somewhere approximately south-west of the village of Lelad. Bridget Hall (in: Brooks, S J et al. 2009.02 Mss "Diary 2009.doc" Wednesday 18th) saw the entrance »close to Lelad village where the first canyon intersects the Zoological Highway.« CAVE DESCRIPTION 2009: Neil Pacey (2009.02.24 Mss "Krem Niakrong" cave description) None. Neil Pacey had been far too pre-occupied with overcoming technical difficulties and rigging problems to notice the cave itself. Brooks, S J et al. (2009.02 Mss "Diary 2009.doc" Thursday 19th) confirmed that Neil Pacey had somehow noticed a more or less vertical shaft, which he estimated to drop more than 50 m down to a kind of cave chamber where, if you like drill ground speak, »way on is down tight rift with very strong draft sucking in, ran out of bolts, prospects look very good.« CAVE DESCRIPTION 2006: M.W. Brown (2006.02.10 Mss: Niakrong Questionmark) noticed an »1.5 x 1.5 m plan of shaft top« and estimated 30 m deep shaft »trending 200°« where an allegedly »perrenial« (sic! qua: perennial) but actually seasonal »stream enters NE end of shaft under boulders« (note 3). TACKLE: Pacey (2009.02.24 Mss "Krem Niakrong" description), literally quoted, explains that in February 2009 the »Entrance shaft [possibly had been] best rigged from Rock Pinnacle and Cluster of banana trees [sic! qua: shrubs, plants]. Deviation on opposite wall prevents rope rubbing over edge Y'hang and two rebelays leads to ledge and gully.« Having rigged the introductionary SRT ropes to a »cluster of banana trees« and a »rock pinnacle« Neil became aware how, a »deviation on opposite wall prevents rope rubbing over edge Y'hang [sic! qua: y-hang] and 2 rebelays leads to ledge and gully. Final drop … [possibly 10, 15, 20 or 25 m] lands in chamber at bottom of entrance Shaft. Way on is over boulders and down an awkward tight 4 m drop, best laddered 'The Antoneter'. Horizontal rgt passage for 20 m leads down to hole in boulders and head of 3rd pitch 45 m shaft lands in chamber, two short pitches 10 m and 6 m drop into Krem Umsohtung.« Pacey (2009.02.24 Mss "Krem Niakrong" tackle) lists, literally quoted: »5th pitch - 10m Rope 2x bolts ¬ Entrance Shaft - 2x short ropes (10.15m) to rig cluster of banana trees [note 4] & rock pinnacle. ¬ 1x ?? rope, 1x deviation, 7x bots. 1x short ladder (2nd pitch) ¬ 3rd pitch - 45 m rope 6x bolts, 1x deviation ¬ 4th pitch 10 m rope 1x bolt, 2x slings« (note 5). PROSPECTS 2009: N. Pacey (2009.02.24 Mss "Krem Niakrong" outlook): Ignored (note 6). SPELEOMETRY 2009: Arbenz, T (2009.06.01 Mss: total 2009.xls) lists: Krem Niakrong (Umsohtung add.), survey length 210 m (2009.02.20) + Krem Umsohtung 2838.36 m (pre-2009 survey length) = 3048.36 m (2009 survey length). According to Brooks (2009.03.10 Mss: Overview 2009), »Krem Niakrong added 210 m to the now 3,048 m long Krem Umsohtung.« Thrown back on his own understanding, Neil Pacey (2009.02.24 Mss: Krem Niakrong) arrived at recording »Length 143 m, vertical range: ???« CAVE CLIMATE: Neil Pacey noticed on 19th February 2009 (no time mentioned) an inward air current and recorded a »… tight rift with very strong draft [sic! qua: draught] sucking in« (Brooks, S J et al. 2009.02 Mss "Diary 2009.doc" Thursday 19th).
NOTE 1: The Khasi verb "kñia" means »to sacrifice« as, for example, "ka kñia kyntew" is »a sacrifice which the Khasis performed at home to U Blei Synteng, called Mahet« (SINGH, N 1906: 140).On the other hand, the Khasi noun "ka nia" is »a reason, an argument« and "ka ñia“ is a short form of "ka kñia" and means »a maternal uncle's wife« or »the wife of an uncle on the mother's side« (SINGH, N 1906: 44, 140) while the noun “ka krong" means »a bier« but "kroh“ would be »crevisses, holes« (SINGH, N 1906: 48). NOTE 2: Brown (2006.02.10 Mss: Niakrong Questionmark) positions the entrance 20 m on a bearing of 110° from WGS84 N25°18'27.3”: E092°29'40.3” (±4.7 m): 1070 m asl (M.W. Brown 2006.02.10, GPS Garmin 12) —corrected N25°18'26.8”: E092°29'40.8” WGS84: 1070 m asl --and thus unexpectedly close (43 m approximately south-east) to the early 4-channel GPS measured position N25°18'28”: E092°29'40” (±115 m, H.D. Gebauer 1999.03.29): 1090 m asl (wobbly GPS Garmin 4). NOTE 3: When Mark W. Brown (2006.02.10 Mss: Niakrong Questionmark) reports a »perrenial« (sic!) or a perennial stream one better asks back since he is just so fond of applying the impressive sounding adjective "perennial" not only to seasonal streams but also to dry stream beds. NOTE 4: The Synteng ”U Sni-riang-ksiar" (also: Soni-riang-ksiar) is »a god of the Synteng people located in a plantain tree or shrub near a dwelling house« (SINGH, N 1906: 206).NOTE 5: In 2006, Brooks, S J (undated circa 2006.10.31 Mss amendment to Brown 2006.02.10 Mss: Niakrong Questionmark / Krem Niakrong) had suggested to start with bringing »50 m rope plus belays.« NOTE 6: Exclusively interested in negotiating obstacles, Neil Pacey (2009.02.24 Mss "Krem Niakrong" outlook) had been far too pre-occupied with rigging belays, bolts and rebelays to notice possible continuations, to register their locations, or to understand what it takes to gain access to all the ignored and unexplored leads. Instead, Neil Pacey attempted to obscure his lack of observation power simply by applying drill-ground speak declaring the superficially looked at cave should be considered »complete / finished - connected to Krem Umsohtung« (i.e. Krem –>Um Sohtung Brown 2006) and that's it.
History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1999.03.29, trip 1: Under the auspices of by Shanglang Bamon and Thiklang Chyrmang, it was Kyrshan Dhar who guided Paul A. Edmunds, Katharina "Kate" Janossy, H. D. Gebauer, Gregory D. Diengdoh and ten Wells Cathedral School students to the entrance. Everybody present looked at the entrance and H. D. Gebauer recorded the pothole cave entrance's name, GPS position (wobbly 4-channel GPS), and prospects. 2006.02.10, trip 2: Mark W. Brown (2006.02.10 Mss: Niakrong Questionmark) »located« and looked at the entrance, recorded a state of the art GPS position. ANONYMOUS (Brown, M.W. et al. 2006) confirms that »Mark … relocated Krem Niakrong« on »Friday 10th February.« 2009.02.18, trip 3: Bridget Hall and Bishnoi Prakash (Leading Seaman, Indian Navy), found the entrance with the help of a GPS receiver and a lot of »… machetee work … within half an hour. Natural belays on banana "trees” and a rock face 5 m back from the shaft were used to go over the edge. Much gardening was required and more is still needed using a crowbar on the next trip. Three bolts were placed and about 30 m dropped before time ran out« (Brooks, S J et al. 2009 Mss "Diary 2009.doc" Wednesday 18th). 2009.02.19, trip 4: Neil Pacey and Bishnoi Prakash (Leading Seaman, Indian Navy) »… continued rigging down Krem Niakrong to bottom of chamber at approx. -50 m … ran out of bolts« (Brooks, S J et al. 2009 Mss "Diary 2009.doc" Thursday 19th). 2009.02.20, trip 5: Bridget Hall, Cdr Vijay Chhikara (Commander, Indian Navy), and Bishnoi Prakash »… went to Niakrong …« and ? (Brooks, S J et al. 2009 Mss "Diary 2009.doc" Friday 20th). 2009.02.24, trip 6: Neil (Nil?) Pacey (2009.02.24 Mss "Krem Niakrong" cave description) arrived at understanding that, on »24/02/09 Neily Pacey, Suzan ? [i.e. Sujan Shubba, Leading Seaman, Indian Navy], Chong ? [i.e. Polchung "Chung" Kipgen, Seaman 1st Class, Indian Navy] Rigged down from bottom of entrance Shaft through the 'Antometer' and down The 45 m pitch. Continued down the 4th and 5th pitches to connect to Krem Um Sohtung [i.e. Krem –>Um Sohtung Brown 2006] 21/5.«
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.2 | LAMET, Lelad (Krem) | ||
| 0.2 | UM SOHTUNG (Brown 2006) (Krem) | ||
| 0.3 | MOONRISE CAVE, 1st | ||
| 0.4 | UM SOHTUNG (Brown 2000) (Krem) | ||
| 0.4 | LELAD CAVE 2 | ||
| 0.4 | LELAD CAVE | ||
| 0.4 | PINE RIFT | ||
| 0.5 | PAULUS (Krem) | ||
| 0.6 | Paulus 2 (Krem) |